By Tara Kavaler Arizona Republic
The Arizona Republic asked 2nd Congressional District candidates Rep. Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz., and Republican Eli Crane questions about policy issues such as water rights, the war in Ukraine and other top issues.
O’Halleran represented the 1st Congressional District since 2017; post-redistricting, he is running in the new 2nd district.
Below are O’Halleran’s responses, which were submitted in writing. Crane did not respond. The story will be updated with Crane’s answers if he provides any.
Arizona is facing massive cuts in its water rights from the Colorado River after decades of drought. What, if anything, should Congress do to manage this issue for the state?
As a key advocate for Arizona’s water for the last 20 years, I know just how important the actions we take right now will be to the future of our state. In August, I appeared alone on an Arizona PBS “debate” that my opponent declined to attend, and this is the issue I identified as the highest priority for Arizonans. Water in the Colorado River is drying up and we are seeing dangerously low water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell; we’ve known this for years, and yet political stalemate and a failure to plan for the future has led to an unacceptable period of inaction.
